I has the pleasure to tye in Troutfest on Sunday from 09:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Let me start off by saying the people I met this past weekend were just plain Awesome. Everyone I met was friendly, down to earth and welcomed me with open arms. This was my very first visit to Tennessee period not to mention the smoky's. The Little Lady and I are already talking that we want to come back and truly vacation for about a week or two next year. The fishing was great on Sunday and I found that with an intermedaite sinking line and a size 8 Green Well's Glory wet fly was the way to go. I loved the Rainbows and caught my biggest one around 11 to 12 inches by a deep pool on the bridge where you can see the waterfalls heading towards Gatlinburg. I realized my wet fly with the intermedaite sinking line for this pocket would not reach the bottom so I put on a Size 8 weighted copper/black woolly bugger and landed this beauty. I will post the picture later this week of me with this fish. He was placed back unharmed and untouched by my hands. All I had to do was just take the woolly bugger and just slightly move the fly 45 degrees away from the fish and the fish unhooked himself and was back in the water and took off like a rocket. One of the many benefits of debarbing my hooks that I fish with. All I can say is thank you every one for making Trout Fest a wonderful experience and a great time for us. I hope I get to be invited back next year to tye.

Andy, I really learned alot with your hackle technique. I love the look and will be tying all my tellicos and prince nymph using a wet fly hackle. I do this anyway but now they'll hopefully look better. I also learned alot about thread. Vey cool.
Thanks,
Lynn